Morphological Development of Baghdad City (The Sixth Stage)

Abstract

    This study analyzes the morphological development of بغداد, focusing on its sixth stage, which emerged after 2010 as a new urban phase resulting from the interaction of multiple demographic, economic, and planning factors. The study aims to reveal the nature of changes that have affected the city’s urban structure and to identify their implications for the urban fabric and land use patterns.

   The study adopts descriptive, analytical, and historical approaches, relying on demographic and spatial data that illustrate urban growth trends. The results show that rapid population growth was the main driver of urban expansion, with Baghdad’s population doubling over recent decades. This led to significant horizontal expansion at the expense of agricultural land and the emergence of unplanned urban patterns, particularly on the city’s outskirts.

   The study also highlights a clear imbalance between planned and unplanned expansion, where the latter contributed to the distortion of the urban fabric and increased land-use overlap, especially between residential and commercial functions. In addition, the city has witnessed functional transformations, including the emergence of secondary urban centers, reflecting a shift toward a polycentric urban model.

   Furthermore, the findings indicate that infrastructure—particularly the transportation sector—has not kept pace with this rapid growth, resulting in increased traffic congestion and reduced service efficiency. The study concludes that the sixth stage represents an unbalanced phase of urban growth, requiring effective planning interventions aimed at regulating urban expansion, promoting urban sustainability, and achieving equilibrium between population growth and the city’s carrying capacity.